Consumercarts is reader-supported. Learn more
ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi vs MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Comparison
ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi vs MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi chipset compared
The first real difference is chipset: ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi B650 against MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi X870. MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi also leads on m.2 slots, 3 on the ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi versus 4 on the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi. They differ on m.2 pcie 5.0 slots too, 1 on the ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi versus 2 on the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi. Sata ports is not the same on both, 2 on the ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi versus 4 on the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi.
ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi vs MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: which one fits your build
The ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi is the one to take for builders who want extra SATA ports for legacy drives and budget AM5 builds that don't need Wi-Fi 7, though it is not built for anyone who wants the latest B850 or X870 chipset features and builds that want a fourth M.2 slot. Buy the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi for builders who want dual Gen5 M.2 slots without X870E pricing and mid-range AM5 builds that want fast 5G LAN, though it is the wrong buy for buyers who don't need dual Gen5 storage and budget-first AM5 builds.
What ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi and MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi have in common
Where they agree, they agree completely, socket, memory slots, max memory, max memory capacity and form factor included, so the decision does not turn on any of those. They match on 9 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi and MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi differ on m.2 slots onboard?
Yes. M.2 Slots Onboard reads 3 on the ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi versus 4 on the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi.
Is the Platform the same on the ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi and MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi?
It is. Both are listed at AMD, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- AMD
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- AMD
Model Number
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
Socket
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
Form Factor
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- ATX
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- B650
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- X870
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- Ryzen 9000
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- Ryzen 9000
Memory Type
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, dual-channel, DDR5-7600+ (OC), XMP/EXPO
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4x DDR5 UDIMM, up to 256GB, up to 8400+ MT/s (OC)
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- Ryzen 7000
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- Ryzen 7000
Memory Slots
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4
Max Memory
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 256 GB
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 256 GB
Board Width
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 305 mm
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 243.84 mm
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 3-25%
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4Best
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- Yes
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- Yes
Max Memory Capacity
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 256 GB
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 256 GB
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 7600 MT/s
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 8400 MT/sBest
M.2 Slots Onboard
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4
M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 2
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 2
SATA Ports
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 3
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
Rear USB 10Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 3
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 3
Rear USB 2.0 Ports
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4
Front USB-C Header Speed
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 20Gbps
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 20Gbps
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 16
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 14
Power Stage Current Rating
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 60 A
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 80 A
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5 Gbps
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 5 GbpsBest
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- Wi-Fi 6E
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth Version
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 5.2
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 5.4
Audio Codec
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- Realtek ALC897, Nahimic, 7.1-channel
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- Realtek ALC4080, 7.1-channel
Expansion
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 1x PCIe 5.0 x16, 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x4 mode); 1x M.2 PCIe 5.0 x4, 2x M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4; 2x SATA III; 1x M.2 Key-E (Wi-Fi)
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x4 + PCIe 3.0 x1
Connectivity
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 1x Rear USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A (10Gbps), 1x Rear USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (10Gbps), 4x Rear USB 3.2 Gen1 (5Gbps), 2x Rear USB 2.0; 1x Front Panel USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C header (20Gbps)
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 2x rear USB 40Gbps Type-C (USB4), front USB 20Gbps Type-C with 27W PD
Networking
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- Realtek 8126-CG 5G LAN, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Special Features
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi
- 3x M.2 (1x Gen5, 2x Gen4)
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4x M.2 (2x Gen5, 2x Gen4)
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi if you want the higher memory slots (4 vs 4) and the higher max memory (256 GB vs 256 GB).
Choose MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi if you want the higher M.2 slots (4 vs 3).
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi | MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | |
| Newegg | View on Newegg |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.